After months of preparation, filming, and editing, our documentary was finally shared with the public on Monday in Pleasantville, New York. Our first premiere of Harmony Of The Azores was a smash success, with a sold-out theater at the Jacob Burns Film Center. Before the documentary screening, we had a mix-and-mingle upstairs at the Jane Peck Gallery, where students could network with Pace alumni and faculty before showing them our documentary.
At 7 pm, everyone filed into the theater, and the air was filled with anticipation. The lights went down, and our first speaker went on stage. The first opening speaker was the Dean of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Tresmaine Grimes. She spoke about our travel to the Azores and introduced the next speaker, the President of Pace University, Marvin Krislov. Mr. Krislov spoke about his affection for the PaceDocs program and announced upcoming international premieres of the documentary. He thanked Dr. Luskay and Professor Guarneri for their leadership, which met a wave of cheers and applause. Then, our very own Dr. Luskay went on stage to familiarize the audience with the PaceDocs program and thank alumni who have contributed to the continued success of the program. Then, she introduced Harmony Of The Azores.
The curtain rose and our documentary began. Watching our documentary with a large audience was thrilling and a special experience. Seeing the impact of our work in real time solidified our excitement and pride in the project. The energy generated by the documentary was palpable. When the credits rolled, the audience exploded into cheering and applause. The team has worked tirelessly for months, and seeing our work pay off in the audience’s reaction was incredibly rewarding.
At the end of the credits, the PaceDocs team left their seats to head to the stage for the Q&A session. Unfortunately, one PaceDocs student, Anya, could not attend the premiere because she lives in Colorado. So, we brought her to the premiere via Zoom!
The audience had a lot of questions, many of which we did not have time to answer. Some audience members complimented our storytelling and cinematography skills, and one PaceDocs alumnus was especially impressed by the advancement of the technology in our documentary, particularly noting the drone footage. Drone operators Brooke Smith and Donovann Smit shared their experience shooting drone footage on the trip. One audience member who had a history of sound mixing for The Rolling Stones complimented our sound editing between the music, interview footage, and transitions.
Later in the Q&A session, PaceDocs alumnus Cristina Figueroa asked: What was your favorite memory on the trip? Our responses included: tuna, a soccer game on the beach, the hike up Monte Brasil where Dr. Luskay sang Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, going out on the last night of the trip with Professor Guarneri, and celebrating St Paddy’s Day on a particularly rainy night in Ponta Delgada.
Another audience member asked what the biggest challenges we encountered were. Our answers encompassed several aspects of the editing process, including choosing footage and color editing.
Pace professor Dr. Sager asked about the planning and pre-production phase, and what that experience taught us. Jackson spoke about his contribution to the itinerary planning and story development phase. A PaceDocs alumnus asked us what the biggest lesson we took from the experience was. Our answers included teamwork, learning the value of collaboration on a project like this, and how valuable this community can be.
Previous PaceDocs student Lilah McCormack asked the four returning PaceDocs students why they decided to take the Producing The Documentary course again. Donovann and Kat shared that they returned for the thrill of shooting and editing this documentary in a month and a half. Jackson and Angie returned for the experience, which is unprecedented in their careers so far. Jackson also came back for the community.
One audience member asked what part of the story we think we covered the best, and what part we wish we could’ve covered more. Jackson and Amy both responded that they wish we could’ve covered the Holy Ghost Festival, which occurred a week after the crew visited the Azores. The festivals are a large part of the culture there. We did our best to encapsulate this part of the culture without having footage of the festival. As for the elements they believe we covered the best, they mentioned the relationship of the instrument to the people and the continuation of the tradition of playing the instrument.
After the Q&A session, the documentary team, friends, family, and alumni continued the tradition of eating dinner at the Pleasantville restaurant, Craft Pizza and Beer. We enjoyed pizza, pasta, wine, and beer together. We filled the entire restaurant, bringing high energy and an itch for celebration.
Although our U.S. premiere is over, the documentary editing process isn’t. Now, we are working on the Portuguese version to premiere in the Azores. Following our screenings in the Azores and potential additional screenings in the U.S, we will release the documentary on YouTube. Stay tuned to socials for the link to the YouTube release and details for other screenings.